That Saturday afternoon smelled goodbye to the school year among the children of an elementary school. In the house of one of the parents everything was arranged for the celebration: sweets, cookies, soft drinks, sweets, and abundant beer for the elderly.

After a while, Albertico could not with the force of habit and introduced his index finger in the glass of beer of the father who, openly, gave his offspring not only an accomplice smile but the glass overflowing with drink as a reward for the manly act of his son.

The scene of the toast between the eight-year-old boy and his father passed without any stupefaction from those gathered there, who, with laughter and anecdotes of similar episodes, celebrated the entrance to their new member's club.

Unfortunately, events like this are often repeated in certain family circles, sometimes with more and others with less resistance to alcohol consumption.

Today many parents do not perceive the risk their children run when they become addicted to alcoholic beverages and expose themselves from such an early age to their consumption, since most feel that possibility as very remote to their reality, although in many cases they even accept that today imposes a behavioral rhythm that makes these experiences begin before.

I believe that although reality shows that life is more hectic in terms of the first few times, the human body still needs a certain time to mature physically and psychologically, as grandparents would say, burning stages never brings good results.

It is not about advocating for an abstaining society, but about locating each experience in due course. Nor is there a need to follow the stereotype that Cubans are drinkers by nature and try to justify unacceptable behavior such as promoting the habit of consuming alcoholic beverages at an early age.

In this, the whole society, from the family to the state, has great responsibility, because the examples of adolescent alcoholics are a reality that knocks on the doors. What is necessary is that adolescents and young people come to realize that fun, joy, sharing between friends and family, feeling good and happiness, do not have to travel in a bottle.